Packaging containers having conformation induction members and methods of making and using same

ABSTRACT

Packaging containers for packaging various materials, including granular, flowable, and food materials, are described herein. The packaging containers include one or more conformation induction member(s) that are involved in controlling the contour of the filled container. Methods of producing and using the packaging containers are disclosed.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS/INCORPORATION BY REFERENCESTATEMENT

This application is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 12/853,392, filedAug. 10, 2010, now abandoned; which is a divisional of U.S. Ser. No.12/852,639, filed on Aug. 9, 2010, now abandoned; the entire contents ofwhich are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

Packaging materials for covering various items have been known in theart for many years and have various configurations. While the prior artcontainers and methods for covering items using same have been widelyaccepted, new and improved methods for providing packaging materials,and in particular packaging containers, having improved aestheticqualities as well as enhanced production speed, reduced tooling costsand reduced possibility of leakage, are being sought which are lesscostly. It is to such packaging materials and methods for producing andusing same that the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s)is directed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is an elevational view of a packaging container of the priorart.

FIGS. 1B and 1C are perspective views of the packaging container of FIG.1A having an item disposed therein.

FIG. 2 is an elevational view of another packaging container of theprior art, a lower end of said packaging container having ahalf-hexagonal shape.

FIG. 3 is an elevational view of a packaging container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with at least twoconformation induction members which extend from a sidewall thereof.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view of another packaging container constructedin accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with at least twoconformation induction members which extend from a lower end thereof.

FIG. 5 is an elevational view of another packaging container constructedin accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the packaging container is provided with at leasttwo conformation induction members, each of which extend from a lowerend thereof to a sidewall thereof.

FIG. 6 is an elevational view of yet another packaging containerconstructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) and having at least two conformation inductionmembers and a non-linear upper edge.

FIG. 7 is an elevational view of yet another packaging containerconstructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) and having at least two conformation inductionmembers and an upper portion separable from a lower portion of thepackaging container via a linear detaching element.

FIG. 8 is an elevational view of yet another packaging containerconstructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) and having at least two conformation inductionmembers and an upper portion separable from a lower portion of thepackaging container via a non-linear detaching element.

FIG. 9 is an elevational view of yet another packaging containerconstructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) and having at least two conformation inductionmembers and a skirt insert/extension attached thereto.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the packaging container of FIG. 5having an item partially disposed therein.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of the packaging container and item ofFIG. 10, wherein the item is almost fully disposed within the packagingcontainer.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the packaging container and item ofFIG. 11, disposed upon a support surface.

FIG. 13 is an elevational view of a packaging container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with a single conformationinduction member extending from a sidewall thereof to a lower endthereof.

FIG. 14 is an elevational view of a packaging container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with a single conformationinduction member extending from a sidewall thereof.

FIG. 15 is an elevational view of a packaging container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with a single conformationinduction member extending from a sidewall thereof to a lower endthereof.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the packaging container of FIG. 13having an item disposed therein.

FIG. 17 is a perspective view of the packaging container of FIG. 14having an item disposed therein.

FIG. 18 is a perspective view of the packaging container of FIG. 15having an item disposed therein.

FIG. 19 is a bottom plan view of a packaging container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), wherein the container is provided with four conformationinduction members.

FIG. 20 is a bottom plan view of the packaging container of FIG. 19having at least one item disposed therein.

FIG. 21 is a perspective view of the packaging container and at leastone item of FIG. 20, disposed upon a support surface.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of the packaging container and at leastone item of FIG. 21, wherein the packaging container is secured aboutthe at least one item via a bonding material.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Before explaining at least one embodiment of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) in detail, it is to be understood that thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is not limited inits application to the details of construction and the arrangement ofthe components or steps or methodologies set forth in the followingdescription or illustrated in the drawings. The presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) is capable of other embodiments or of beingpracticed or carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understoodthat the phraseology and terminology employed herein is for the purposeof description and should not be regarded as limiting.

Unless otherwise defined herein, technical terms used in connection withthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) shall have themeanings that are commonly understood by those of ordinary skill in theart. Further, unless otherwise required by context, singular terms shallinclude pluralities and plural terms shall include the singular.

All of the articles and/or methods disclosed and claimed herein can bemade and executed without undue experimentation in light of the presentdisclosure. While the articles and methods of the presently disclosedand claimed inventive concept(s) have been described in terms ofparticular embodiments, it will be apparent to those of skill in the artthat variations may be applied to the articles and/or methods and in thesteps or in the sequence of steps of the method described herein withoutdeparting from the concept, spirit and scope of the presently disclosedand claimed inventive concept(s). All such similar substitutes andmodifications apparent to those skilled in the art are deemed to bewithin the spirit, scope and concept of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) as defined by the appended claims.

The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is directed toa container for packaging at least one item. The container includes abase having an upper end, a lower end, a sidewall, an outer peripheralsurface, an inner peripheral surface, and a receiving space. Thesidewall is formed of a first panel and a second panel that areconnected together at a first edge and a second edge, a first end and asecond end when the container is in a flattened condition. The first endof the lower end is connected to the first edge of the sidewall, whilethe second end of the lower end is connected to the second edge of thesidewall.

The container further includes at least one conformation inductionmember connecting the first and second panels of the sidewall at atleast one point apart from the first and second edges. Thus, when anitem is disposed in the container, the first and second ends of thelower end are disposed substantially below and adjacent a lower end ofthe item, whereby the combination of the at least one conformationinduction member and the item disposed in the container substantiallycontrol the contour of the filled container. In certain embodiments, theat least one conformation induction member may be a seal or a pluralityof seals.

In one embodiment, the conformation induction member is connected to thelower end at a position between the first and second ends thereof. Theconformation induction member extends generally upwardly towards atleast one of the first and second edges of the sidewall and connects thefirst and second panels of the sidewall at at least one point apart fromthe at least one of the first and second edges.

In another embodiment, the conformation induction member extendsgenerally downwardly from at least one of the first and second edges ofthe sidewall and connects the first and second panels of the sidewall atat least one point apart from the at least one of the first and secondedges.

In yet another embodiment, the container is provided with at least twoconformation induction members. In this embodiment, a first conformationinduction member extends generally downwardly from the first edge of thesidewall and connects the first and second panels of the sidewall at atleast one point apart from the first edge. A second conformationinduction member extends generally downwardly from the second edge ofthe sidewall and connects the first and second panels of the sidewall atat least one point apart from the second edge. In one alternative, thefirst and/or second conformation induction members may extend from thefirst/second edge of the sidewall to a position on the lower end of thecontainer between the first and second ends thereof.

In a further embodiment, the container is provided with at least twoconformation induction members that are connected to the lower end ofthe container. In this embodiment, a first conformation induction memberis connected to the lower end at a position between the first and secondends thereof; the first conformation induction member extends generallyupwardly towards the first edge of the sidewall and connects the firstand second panels of the sidewall at at least one point apart from thefirst edge of the sidewall. A second conformation induction member isconnected to the lower end at a position between the second and firstends thereof; the second conformation induction member extends generallyupwardly towards the second edge of the sidewall and connects the firstand second panels of the sidewall at at least one point apart from thesecond edge of the sidewall. In one alternative, the first and/or secondconformation induction member may extend from the lower end to thefirst/second edge of the sidewall.

In yet another embodiment, the container is provided with at least threeconformation induction members. The addition of multiple conformationinduction members provides greater control of the contour of the lowerportion of the filled container. In addition, the lower portion of thecontainer may substantially conform to the configuration of a lowerportion of the item.

The lower end of the container of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) may be provided with any configuration known in theart and/or described herein. In one embodiment, the lower end of thecontainer may have a linear configuration.

The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) is furtherdirected to a method of packaging an item. Said method includes thesteps of providing any of the containers described herein above, anddisposing an item within the inner retaining space of the container. Inthis manner, the first and second ends of the lower end of the containerare disposed substantially below and adjacent a lower end of the item,and whereby the combination of the at least one conformation inductionmember(s) and the item disposed in the container substantially controlthe contour of the filled container.

The item may be, for example but not way of limitation, a flowablematerial, a solid material, a liquid material, a gaseous material, agranular material, and combinations thereof. In one embodiment, the itemmay be a food product. In another embodiment, the item may be a floralitem, such as but not limited to, a flower pot, floral grouping, pottedplant, and the like. When the item is a floral item, the container maybe further defined as a floral sleeve.

As utilized in accordance with the present disclosure, the followingterms, unless otherwise indicated, shall be understood to have thefollowing meanings:

The use of the word “a” or “an” when used in conjunction with the term“comprising” in the claims and/or the specification may mean “one,” butit is also consistent with the meaning of “one or more,” “at least one,”and “one or more than one.” The use of the term “or” in the claims isused to mean “and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer toalternatives only or the alternatives are mutually exclusive, althoughthe disclosure supports a definition that refers to only alternativesand “and/or.” Throughout this application, the term “about” is used toindicate that a value includes the inherent variation of error for thedevice, the method being employed to determine the value, or thevariation that exists among the study subjects. The use of the term “atleast one” will be understood to include one as well as any quantitymore than one, including but not limited to, 2, 3, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30,40, 50, 100, etc. The term “at least one” may extend up to 100 or 1000or more, depending on the term to which it is attached; in addition, thequantities of 100/1000 are not to be considered limiting, as higherlimits may also produce satisfactory results.

As used in this specification and claim(s), the words “comprising” (andany form of comprising, such as “comprise” and “comprises”), “having”(and any form of having, such as “have” and “has”), “including” (and anyform of including, such as “includes” and “include”) or “containing”(and any form of containing, such as “contains” and “contain”) areinclusive or open-ended and do not exclude additional, unrecitedelements or method steps.

The term “or combinations thereof” as used herein refers to allpermutations and combinations of the listed items preceding the term.For example, “A, B, C, or combinations thereof” is intended to includeat least one of: A, B, C, AB, AC, BC, or ABC, and if order is importantin a particular context, also BA, CA, CB, CBA, BCA, ACB, BAC, or CAB.Continuing with this example, expressly included are combinations thatcontain repeats of one or more item or term, such as BB, AAA, MB, BBC,AAABCCCC, CBBAAA, CABABB, and so forth. The skilled artisan willunderstand that typically there is no limit on the number of items orterms in any combination, unless otherwise apparent from the context.

The terms “container”, “packaging container”, “sleeve” and “bag” may beused herein interchangeably and will be understood to refer to aprotective covering for holding, containing and/or protecting an itemdisposed therein during storage, shipment, transport and/or display ofsaid item. In certain embodiments, the container includes a body with aninterior space configured for holding and/or containing the item. Incertain other embodiments, the container includes a tubular body with atleast a first opening in the body that is adapted for receiving theitem. The container may assume any desired shape, including but notlimited to, cylindrical, tapered, conical, frustoconical, combinationsthereof, and the like.

The term “preformed” as used herein, refers to an object that has beenformed into the condition in which it is used prior to its use. This isin contrast to a sheet of material, which does not have a formed shapein absence of an object. A sheet of material requires that it be formedabout an object, whereas a preformed cover or container is provided withseals, folds or the like which provide the cover or container with itspreformed shape; optionally, the preformed cover or container may beformed of a material which has shape-sustaining characteristics thatmaintain the cover or container in its preformed shape in the absence ofan object disposed therein.

The terms “polymer film” and “polymeric film,” as used herein, refer topolymers of natural or artificial origin, such as a man-made polymersuch as a polypropylene or a naturally occurring polymer such ascellophane. A polymer film is relatively strong and will not tear aseasily as paper or foil.

The term “conformation induction member” as used herein will beunderstood to include any element that connects the first and secondpanels of the container at at least one point apart from the first andsecond edges and the lower end of the container, and which functions toinduce a lower portion of the container to assume a desired conformationand control the contour of the container when filled. Any of thecontainers constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) are provided with one or more conformationinduction member(s). The conformation induction member(s) is activatedwhen the container is opened and an item is disposed in at least a lowerportion of the container, wherein the weight and/or volume of the itemin combination with the conformation induction member(s) substantiallycontrols the contour of the filled container. The conformation inductionmember specifically modifies the shape of the filled container so thatthe container assumes a conformation in the filled condition that isdifferent from the container's conformation in an empty condition.

The conformation induction member(s) of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) may be, for example but not by way oflimitation, seals, welds, adhesives, cohesive, stitches, clamps, rings,or any other element that connects the two panels as described hereinabove, as well as any combination thereof. In addition, the conformationinduction member(s) of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) may comprise a continuous element (i.e., a continuous seal orcontinuous weld), or may comprise a series of non-continuous elements,such as but not limited to, dots, spots or lines (i.e., multiple spotsof seals/welds or multiple lines of seals/welds).

The conformation induction members of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) connect two points on a perimeter surfaceof the sidewall of the container (i.e., connect the first and secondpanels of the container to one another). This connection may occur atone of the side edges of the container and extend to the bottom of thecontainer. Alternatively, this connection may occur at the bottom of thecontainer and extend to one of the side edges of the container. Inanother alternative, this connection may occur at one of the side edgesof the container and extend only partially, so that the connection doesnot extend to the bottom of the container. In yet another alternative,this connection may occur at the bottom of the container and extend onlypartially, so that the connection does not extend to one of the sideedges of the container. In a further alternative, the connection is in aposition apart from the side edges and bottom of the container, and theconnection does not extend to either the side edges or the bottom of thecontainer.

As mentioned above, the containers of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) may be provided with one or moreconformation induction member(s). The addition of multiple conformationinduction members provides the ability to more precisely control thecontour of the lower portion/lower end of the container. For example, itmay be desired to provide the container with a cylindrical bottom, andthe addition of two or more conformation induction member(s) would allowmore control of the contour of the lower end so that it may assume asubstantially cylindrical shape.

The terms “item” and “object” are used interchangeably herein and willbe understood to include any article, composition or substance that iscapable of being packaged in a container of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s). The item utilized in accordance with thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may be for examplebut not by way of limitation, a solid material, a liquid material, agaseous material, a flowable material, a granular material, and anycombination thereof. The material may possess any desired consistency,including but not limited to, fluid, cream, lotion, gel, paste,powdered, aerosol, and the like. In a particular example, the item maybe a food product, such as but not limited to, a liquid food product(i.e., drinking fluids, including water, milk, tea, soda, wine,alcohols, juices, energy drinks and the like; and other fluids such asoils, alcohols, vinegars, dressings, batters, and the like); a powderedfood product (i.e., sugars, flours, sodas, powdered drinks, mixes,coffee, and the like); a granular food product (i.e., beans, rice,pasta, cereal, oatmeal, coffee, and the like); and any other foodproduct capable of being packaged in this manner (i.e., rice cakes,fruit, bread, other perishable and non-perishable grocery items, and thelike). In other non-limiting examples, the item may be a cosmeticproduct (i.e., perfume, makeup, moisturizer, and the like), a personalcare product (i.e., soap, deodorant, hair products, and the like); ahousehold or other consumable product (i.e., inks, paints, resins, andthe like), a cleaning product (i.e., laundry and dishwashing detergents,surface cleaners, air fresheners, and the like); an automotive product(i.e., cleaning products, oil, liquids, and the like); a medicalcomposition/drug; a medical device; a decorative living or artificialitem (i.e., floral grouping, plant, potted plant, and the like); and anyother product capable of being packaging in this manner. Further, theitem may include combinations of any of the above.

The terms “substantially below a lower end” and “primarily below a lowerend” are used interchangeably herein and will be understood to refer aposition that is adjacent and contiguous to a lower end.

The term “bonding material” as used herein refers to any type ofmaterial or thing which can be used to effect the bonding or connectingof two adjacent portions of material or sheets of material to effect theconnection or bonding described herein. For example but not by way oflimitation, the term “bonding material” as used herein may refer toadhesives; cohesives; ties; labels; bands; ribbons; strings; tapes;staples; a piece of wire, tie wrap or twist ties; heat sealable, sonicsealable and vibratory sealable materials; shrinkable materials; barbs,slots, holes, cuts, or other barb-type fastening means or clamps; andcombinations of any of the above or any other device capable ofgathering the sleeve to removably or substantially permanently connectthe container to an object and/or form a crimped portion and secure thecrimped portion formed in the container which may be secured about anobject disposed therein.

The term “bonding material” may refer to an adhesive, such as a pressuresensitive adhesive, or a cohesive. Where the bonding material is acohesive, a similar cohesive material must be disposed on an adjacentsurface for bonding contact between the two surfaces. “Bonding material”may also refer to materials which are sonic sealable and vibratorysealable. The term “bonding material” may also refer to a heat sealinglacquer which may be applied to the sheet of material and, in thisinstance, heat, sound waves, or vibrations, also must be applied toeffect the sealing. Furthermore, the term “bonding material” may alsorefer to any heat or chemically shrinkable material, any electricalmeans, magnetic means, mechanical or barb-type fastening means orclamps, curl-type characteristics of the film or materials incorporatedin the material which can cause the material to take on certain shapes,and any type of welding method which may weld portions of the containerto itself or to the item disposed therein, or to both the containeritself and the item disposed therein.

The term “band” when used herein refers to any material which may besecured about an object such as a container and/or an item disposedtherein, such bands commonly being referred to as elastic bands, rubberbands or non-elastic bands and may also refer to any other type ofmaterial such as an elastic or non-elastic string or elastic piece ofmaterial, non-elastic piece of material, a round piece of material, aflat piece of material, a ribbon, a piece of paper strip, a piece ofplastic strip, a piece of wire, a tie wrap or a twist tie orcombinations thereof or any other device capable of gathering the sleeveto removably or substantially permanently form a crimped portion andsecure the crimped portion formed in the container which may be securedabout an object disposed therein. “Band” may also refer to a bow ifdesired in a particular application.

The term “bonding material” may be used interchangeably herein with theterms “banding element” and “securing element”.

The term “detaching element” as used herein means any element, orcombination of elements, which enable the tearing away or detachment ofone object or portion of an object from another object or portion of anobject. For example, in accordance with the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s), a “detaching element” may demarcate apackaging container into an upper portion and a lower portion. Examplesof detaching elements that may be utilized in accordance with thepresently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) include, but arenot limited to, perforations, tear strips, zippers, score lines,adhesive and any other devices or elements known in the art, or anycombination thereof, which enables the detachment of a portion of anobject from another portion of the object.

The term “flower pot cover” as used herein refers to a decorativecovering for floral groupings, flower pots, soil or the like andcombinations thereof. The flower pot cover may be formed by wrapping asheet of material about the floral grouping/flower pot, or the flowerpot cover may be preformed into a desired shape that is capable ofaccepting the floral grouping/flower pot. Alternatively, the flower potcover may assume a relatively tubular shape, commonly referred to in theart as a “sleeve”.

The term “flower pot” or “pot,” as used herein, refers to containersused for holding floral groupings or potted plants. Examples of suchflower pots are clay pots, plastic pots and the like. The flower potdefines a receiving space adapted to receive floral groupings. Thefloral grouping may be disposed within the receiving space of the flowerpot along with a suitable growing medium, a floral foam or combinationsthereof. It will also be understood that in some cases the floralgrouping, and any appropriate growing medium or other retaining medium,may be disposed in a flower pot cover without the flower pot if theflower pot cover is adapted to contain the growing medium.

The term “floral grouping” as used herein will be understood to includecut fresh flowers, artificial flowers, a single flower, other freshand/or artificial plants or other floral materials and may include othersecondary plants and/or ornamentation or artificial or natural materialswhich add to the aesthetics of the overall floral arrangement. In oneembodiment, the floral grouping may comprise a bloom or foliage portionand a stem portion. However, it will be appreciated that the floralgrouping may consist of only a single bloom or only foliage (not shown).The term “floral grouping” may be used interchangeably herein with theterm “floral arrangement.”

The term “growing medium” when used herein means any liquid, solid orgaseous material used for plant growth or for the cultivation ofpropagules, including organic and inorganic materials such as soil,humus, perlite, vermiculite, sand, water, and including the nutrients,fertilizers or hormones or combinations thereof required by the plantsor propagules for growth.

The term “botanical item” when used herein means a natural or artificialherbaceous or woody plant, taken singly or in combination. The term“botanical item” also means any portion or portions of natural orartificial herbaceous or woody plants including stems, leaves, flowers,blossoms, buds, blooms, cones, or roots, taken singly or in combination,or in groupings of such portions such as bouquet or floral grouping.

The term “propagule” when used herein means any structure capable ofbeing propagated or acting as an agent of reproduction including seeds,shoots, stems, runners, tubers, plants, leaves, roots or spores.

Description of FIGS. 1-2 Prior Art

The presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) overcomesmultiple disadvantages and defects of the prior art. For example, shownin FIG. 1A is a typical non-gusseted container or sleeve of the priorart. In said container, the lower end is provided with a linearconfiguration and the side edges extend therefrom at an angle. When anitem is disposed in said container, as shown in FIGS. 1B and 1C, thelower end does not completely conform to the configuration of a lowerend of the item; instead, portions of the lower end at the edges whichattach to the sidewall of the container extend outwardly from thecontainer and beyond the lower end of the item. Said outwardly extendingportions can be unsightly and unattractive.

To overcome this problem, packaging containers have been provided withvarious types of gussets in the lower end thereof. Sleeves having aninwardly folded gusset are known in the art. In addition, as shown inFIG. 2, containers have previously been provided with what has beentermed an “external gusset”. Said external gusset is formed by providingthe lower end of the container with a half hexagonally shaped lower end.When an item is disposed in the container, the outwardly extendingportions produced in the containers shown in FIG. 1 are not produced.However, the process for producing this container has a decreasedproduction speed and increased tooling costs; in addition, the increasednumber of seals in the container results in an increase in the areas ofthe container that may leak. Therefore, there is a need for new andimproved configurations of packaging containers that have increasedproduction speed and decreased tooling costs associated with theproduction thereof when compared to the prior art, and that aresubstantially fluid retaining.

Description of FIGS. 3-9 Various Configurations of ConfirmationInduction Members

Therefore, the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) isdirected to a new and improved container configuration that overcomesthe disadvantages and defects in the prior art. Said containers exhibitmultiple advantages over the prior art, including but not limited to,enhanced production speed and reduced tooling costs as well as areduction in areas of the container that may leak. Particularembodiments of the container of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) will be described in detail herein below; however,it is to be understood that the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) is not limited to the particular configurationsshown herein below, and that any container configuration that possessesconformation induction members falls within the scope of the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

Shown in FIG. 3 is a container 50 that is constructed in accordance withthe presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). The container50 is preformed and has an upper end 52, a lower end 54, and a sidewall56 extending therebetween. The container is further provided with anouter peripheral surface 58, an inner peripheral surface 60 (see FIG.10), wherein the inner peripheral surface 60 defines a receiving space61 (FIG. 10) into which at least one item may be disposed. The sidewall56 is formed of a first panel 62 and a second panel 64 (FIG. 10) thatare connected together at a first edge 66 and a second edge 68. When inthe flattened condition, the lower end 54 of the container 50 may beprovided with a first end 70 and a second end 72. The first end 70 isconnected to the first edge 66 of the sidewall 56, and the second end 72is connected to the second edge 68 of the sidewall 56.

Although the upper end 52 is shown in FIG. 3 as having a linearconfiguration, it will be understood that the upper end 52 may have anylinear or non-linear pattern or combinations thereof, such as but not byway of limitation, geometric or non-geometric patterns, for example,contoured, curved, scalloped, pointed, sine wave, arced, toothed,angular, crenelate, crenate, crenulate, starred, and the like.Alternatively, the upper end 52 may have a configuration comprising acombination of a linear and non-linear pattern or an irregular pattern.In addition, the lower end 54 may also be provided with anyconfiguration described herein above.

The container 50 is initially formed in a flattened condition and isopenable therefrom. In one embodiment, the container 50 is formed byusing a pair of webs of material such as is described in U.S. Pat. No.5,562,798, issued to Weder et al., on Oct. 8, 1996, entitled “Apparatusfor Forming Sleeves,” the contents of which are expressly incorporatedherein by reference. In the flattened condition, the first and secondsidewall edges 66 and 68 may extend angularly away from the lower end 54at any angle, or any combination of angles. In one embodiment, the firstand second sidewall edges 66 and 68 may extend away from the lower end54 such that the container 50 is provided with a tapered configuration.It should also be understood by one of ordinary skill in the art thatthe first and second sidewall edges 66 and 68 may have a linear ornonlinear pattern.

The first and second panels 62 and 64 may be integrally formed from asingle sheet of material or may be extruded and/or molded as one.Therefore, the first and second edges 66 and 68 are to be understood tonot be limited to specific connections or seals, but rather representdelineation points between the first and second panels 62 and 64 thatare evident when the container 50 is in a flattened condition.

The container 50 is also provided with a first conformation inductionmember 74 that extends generally downwardly from the first edge 66 ofthe sidewall 56. The first conformation induction member 74 connects thefirst and second panels 62 and 64 of the sidewall 56 at at least onepoint on the inner peripheral surface 60 interior to the first edge 66.

The container 50 is also provided with a second conformation inductionmember 76 that extends generally downwardly from the second edge 68 ofthe sidewall 56. The second conformation induction member 77 connectsthe first and second panels 62 and 64 of the sidewall 56 at at least onepoint on the inner peripheral surface 60 interior to the second edge 68.

The material from which the containers of the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s) may be constructed may be a single layer ofmaterial or a plurality of layers of the same or different types ofmaterials. The layers of material may be laminated together or connectedtogether by any method known in the art. The containers may be formed ofany material capable of use in accordance with the presently disclosedand claimed inventive concept(s). Non-limiting examples of materialsfrom which the containers of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) include, but are not limited to, paper (untreatedand treated in any manner), metal, foil, polymeric film, fabric (woven,non-woven, synthetic or natural), cardboard, fiber, cloth, burlap orlaminations and combinations thereof. The term “polymeric film” as usedherein refers to a film formed of synthetic polymers, such aspolypropylene, or naturally occurring polymers, such as cellophane,which are relatively strong and not subject to tearing (substantiallynon-tearable). Various types of “polymeric films” are described in U.S.Pat. No. 5,311,991, issued to Weder et al. on May 17, 1994, the contentsof which are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

If desired, the containers produced in accordance with the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may also be provided with atleast one of a color, design and/or decorative pattern disposed on atleast a portion thereof. The color(s), design(s) and/or pattern(s) maybe disposed on the containers of the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s) by any method known in the art, including but notlimited to, printing, etching, embossing, texturing, flocking, coating,lacquering, application during extrusion, and the like. The color(s),design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be applied separately or simultaneouslyor may be characterized totally or partially by pearlescent,translucent, transparent, iridescent, optical effect, paper like, clothlike, or other similar qualities, or may be a graphic image selectedfrom the group consisting of a rendering of at least a portion of amasterpiece work of art, a rendering of at least a portion of a work ofart of a Great Master, a rendering of at least a portion of a musicalscore, and combinations thereof. Each of the above-named characteristicsmay occur alone or in combination and may be applied to a portion of aninner peripheral surface and/or an outer peripheral surface of thecontainers. Moreover, when the container comprises two or more layers ofmaterial, each of the layers of material may vary in the combination ofsuch characteristics.

In addition, when the container is provided with two or more design(s)and/or pattern(s), the design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be in registerwith one another or out of register with one another. Alternatively, aportion of the two or more design(s) and/or pattern(s) may be inregister with one another, while another portion of the two or moredesign(s) and/or pattern(s) may be out of register with one another.

The term “optical effect material” as used herein is to be understood tomean any material capable of changing appearance, such as perspectiveand/or color, as the angle of view of such material changes. Opticaleffect materials include, but are not limited to, iridescent materials,materials having one or more holograms and the like. Examples of floralpackaging materials having a texture or appearance simulating thetexture or appearance of cloth have previously been disclosed by theinventor in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,576,089, issued Nov. 19, 1996; 5,634,318,issued Jun. 3, 1997; 5,701,720, issued Dec. 30, 1997; 5,727,362, issuedMar. 17, 1998; 5,775,057, issued Jul. 7, 1998; and 5,921,061, issuedJul. 13, 1999. The entire contents of each of the above-referencedpatents are hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

The term “cloth-like” will be used interchangeably herein with the term“texture and/or appearance simulating the texture and/or appearance ofcloth”. Examples of floral packaging materials having a texture orappearance simulating the texture or appearance of cloth have previouslybeen disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,324,813, issued Dec.4, 2001; 6,387,463, issued May 14, 2002; 6,463,717, issued Oct. 15,2002; 6,495,248, issued Dec. 17, 2002; 6,565,958, issued May 20, 2003;6,565,963, issued May 20, 2003; 6,579,603, issued Jun. 17, 2003;6,598,372, issued Jul. 29, 2003; 6,702,919, issued Mar. 9, 2004;6,706,379, issued Mar. 16, 2004; 6,708,464, issued Mar. 23, 2004;6,715,261, issued Apr. 6, 2004; 6,720,051, issued Apr. 13, 2004; and6,723,417, issued Apr. 20, 2004. The entire contents of each of theabove-referenced patents are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

The term “paper-like” will be used interchangeably herein with the term“texture and/or appearance simulating the texture and/or appearance ofpaper”. Examples of floral packaging materials having a texture orappearance simulating the texture or appearance of paper have previouslybeen disclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,365,251, issued Apr.2, 2002; 6,401,430, issued Jun. 11, 2002; 6,403,207, issued Jun. 11,2002; 6,425,224, issued Jul. 30, 2002; 6,521,307, issued Feb. 18, 2003;6,613,409, issued Sep. 2, 2003; 6,755,006, issued Jun. 29, 2004;6,884,484, issued Apr. 26, 2005; and 6,887,545, issued May 3, 2005. Theentire contents of each of the above-referenced patents are herebyexpressly incorporated herein by reference.

The term “masterpiece work of art” is defined herein as any product ofone of the fine arts, such as a painting or a photograph that is widelyrecognizable by the public and can generally be said to provideaesthetic satisfaction to the viewer. The term “rendering of at least aportion of a masterpiece work of art” not only includes exactreproductions of an original work but will also include reproductionsand partial reproductions that resemble an original masterpiece work ofart, such as a forgery or an imitation, works that contain an adoptionof a general style of artistic expression that is recognizable, such asthe Impressionist style of painting, and works that include alterationsto a famous work, such as a negative image of a work, a change incoloration of a work, or the addition of a person, object or logo to awork. The term “works of the Great Masters” is to be understood to meana work of art produced by an artist generally associated with at leastone of the historical periods or movements. Examples of floral packagingmaterials produced using with such graphic images have previously beendisclosed by the inventor in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,510,650, issued Jan. 28,2003; 6,691,457, issued Feb. 17, 2004; and 6,678,998, issued Jan. 20,2004. The entire contents of each of the above-referenced patents arehereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

Shown in FIG. 4 is another embodiment of a container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s). Said container is generally indicated by the referencenumeral 50 a and is similar to the container 50 of FIG. 3 except asdescribed herein below. The container 50 a is provided with an upper end52 a, a lower end 54 a, a sidewall 56 a comprising a first panel 62 aand a second panel 64 a, an outer peripheral surface 58 a, an innerperipheral surface (not shown) and a receiving space (not shown). Thefirst and second panels 62 a and 64 a are connected together at a firstedge 66 a and a second edge 68 a. In the flattened condition, the lowerend 54 a comprises a first end 70 a (connected to the first edge 66 a)and a second end 72 a (connected to the second edge 68 a). The container50 a also comprises a first conformation induction member 74 a and asecond conformation induction member 76 a.

The container 50 a of FIG. 4 differs from the container 50 of FIG. 3 inthe configuration of the conformation induction members 74 a and 76 a.The first conformation induction member 74 a is connected to the lowerend 54 a at a position between the first and second ends 70 a and 72 athereof, and the first conformation induction member 74 a extendsgenerally upwardly towards the first edge 66 a of the sidewall 56 a. Thefirst conformation induction member 74 a connects the first and secondpanels 62 a and 64 a at at least one point on the inner peripheralsurface 60 a interior to the first edge 66 a of the sidewall 56 a. Thesecond conformation induction member 76 a is connected to the lower end54 a at a position between the first and second ends 70 a and 72 athereof, and the second conformation induction member 76 a extendsgenerally upwardly towards the second edge 68 a of the sidewall 56 a.The second conformation induction member 76 a connects the first andsecond panels 62 a and 64 a at at least one point on the innerperipheral surface 60 a interior to the second edge 68 a of the sidewall56 a.

Shown in FIG. 5 is another embodiment of a container constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s). Said container is generally indicated by the referencenumeral 50 b and is similar to the containers 50 and 50 a of FIGS. 3-4except as described herein below. The container 50 b is provided with anupper end 52 b, a lower end 54 b, a sidewall 56 b comprising a firstpanel 62 b and a second panel 64 b, an outer peripheral surface 58 b, aninner peripheral surface (not shown) and a receiving space (not shown).The first and second panels 62 b and 64 b are connected together at afirst edge 66 b and a second edge 68 b. In the flattened condition, thelower end 54 b comprises a first end 70 b (connected to the first edge66 b) and a second end 72 b (connected to the second edge 68 b). Thecontainer 50 b also comprises a first conformation induction member 74 band a second conformation induction member 76 b.

The container 50 b of FIG. 5 differs from the containers 50 and 50 a ofFIGS. 3-4 in the configuration of the conformation induction members 74b and 76 b. The first conformation induction member 74 b is connected tothe lower end 54 b at a position between the first and second ends 70 band 72 b thereof, and the first conformation induction member 74 bextends generally upwardly from the lower end 54 b to the first edge 66b of the sidewall 56 b. Likewise, the second conformation inductionmember 76 b is connected to the lower end 54 b at a position between thefirst and second ends 70 b and 72 b thereof, and the second conformationinduction member 76 b extends generally upwardly from the lower end 54 bto the second edge 68 b of the sidewall 56 b.

Any of the containers 50, 50 a and 50 b described herein above may beprovided with various changes to their configurations and may compriseadditional elements not shown in FIGS. 3-5. FIGS. 6-9 depict variouselements that may be utilized with any of the containers 50-50 b or anyother containers described herein. FIG. 6 depicts a container 50 c thatis similar to any of the containers 50, 50 a and 50 b, except that anupper end 52 c of container 50 c is provided with a curved or scallopedconfiguration. FIGS. 7 and 8 depict containers 50 d and 50 e that aredemarcated into upper and lower portions by a detaching element. In FIG.7, the container 50 d is provided with an upper portion 78 and a lowerportion 80 that are separable via a detaching element 82. The detachmentof the upper portion 78 provides an upper end 52 d of the container 50d, wherein the upper end 52 d is provided with a linear configuration.Similarly, FIG. 8 also depicts a container 50 e having upper and lowerportions 78 e and 80 e separable via a detaching element 82 e, exceptthat detachment of the upper portion 78 e provides an upper end 52 ehaving a contoured or scalloped configuration.

FIG. 9 depicts yet another element that could be added to any of thecontainers constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed andclaimed inventive concept(s). Container 50 f is depicted as having askirt insert or extension 84 having an upper end 86. The skirt insert orextension 84 is further depicted as extending beyond an upper end 52 fof a body of the container 50 f. However, it is to be understood thatthe upper end 86 of the skirt insert or extension 84 may besubstantially flush with or disposed below the upper end 52 f of thebody of the container 50 f. In one embodiment, the skirt insert orextension 84 may be attached or laminated via a seal to portions of afirst panel 62 f and/or a second panel 64 f of the container 50 f. Theskirt insert or extension 84 may be constructed of a material which isdifferent from the material used to construct the remainder of thecontainer 50 f, or may be constructed of a material which has adifferent color or pattern but which is otherwise similar to thematerial used to construct the remainder of the container 50 f.

In one alternative, the skirt insert or extension 84 may be attached toonly one of the first panel 62 f or the second panel 64 f of thecontainer 50 f rather than to both the first and second panels 62 f and64 f. Further, any of the containers described herein may be constructedto have a skirt insert such as the skirt insert 84. In addition, any ofthe containers described herein may have more than one skirt insert. Anyof the containers described herein may have two or more skirt inserts,and in this instance, each of the skirt inserts may be disposed above,below or substantially flush with an upper end of a body of thecontainer, and each of the skirt inserts may be constructed of the sameor different materials or materials having different colors or patterns.Further description of the use of a skirt insert or extension with acontainer can be found in US Published Application No. 2003/0066265,published to Weder et al. on Apr. 10, 2003, the entire contents of whichare hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference.

It will also be understood by a person of ordinary skill in the art thatalthough the location of the seal connecting the skirt insert 84 isdescribed above as being positioned near the upper end 52 f, the sealconnecting the skirt extension 84 to the container 50 f may in fact bepositioned at any location below the upper end 52 f and above a lowerend 54 f and at any position on an inner and/or outer surface 58 f or 60f of the container 50 f. Further, the skirt insert 84 may be attachedafter the container 50 f has been formed, or before the material hasbeen formed into container 50 f by a container forming apparatus. Inother words, the separate materials used to construct the container 50 fand the skirt insert 84 may be laminated or otherwise connected togetherwhile the webs of material are in a flattened, unformed condition. Whereused herein, the term “skirt insert” may also be used interchangeablywith the term “skirt extension” in that the “skirt insert” may notactually have been “inserted” into the container but may have been“pre-attached” by lamination as described above.

As noted above, any of the containers described herein may comprise askirt insert. In those container embodiments having both a skirt insertand an upper portion sized to surround and enclose a floral grouping,and/or for supporting the container from a support assembly or as anattachment within a pad, the upper portion may be attached to the body,to the skirt portion, or to the skirt insert of the container.

Description of FIGS. 10-12 Use of any of the Containers of FIGS. 3-9

FIGS. 10-12 illustrate the use of any of the containers 50-50 fconstructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s). While said Figures are shown with reference tocontainer 50 b, it is to be understood that any of the containers shownor otherwise described herein will function in the same manner, and thusthe use of container 50 b is not to be construed as limiting.

In FIG. 10, an item 90 is partially disposed in the container 50 b. Theitem 90 is provided with an upper end 92, a lower end 94 and a sidewall96. As can be seen, the item 90 is disposed within the receiving space61 b of the container 50 b.

In FIG. 11, the item 90 is almost completely disposed in the container50 b. As can be seen, the lower end 54 b of the container 50 b no longerpossesses a linear configuration, as the conformation induction members74 b and 76 b are inducing the lower portion of the container 50 b toassume a desired conformation in response to the volume of the item 90disposed in the receiving space 61 b of the container 50 b. In thismanner, the first end 70 b and second end 72 b are being pulled inwarduntil they are disposed in a position that is substantially below andcontiguous to a lower end 94 of the item 90.

FIG. 12 illustrates the item 90 completely disposed in the container 50b, as the lower end 94 of the item 90 is disposed upon a supportsurface. The first and second ends 70 b and 72 b (respectively) aredisposed underneath the lower end 94 of the item 90 and thus do not formthe unsightly outwardly extending portions of the prior art (see FIG.1C). Rather, the filled container 50 b assumes the contour of the item90. The contour of the filled container 50 b is thus controlled by theconformation induction members 74 b and 76 b and the weight and/orvolume of the item 90.

Description of FIGS. 13-18

FIGS. 13-15 depict containers 100, 100 a and 100 b, respectively, thatare constructed in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimedinventive concept(s). The containers 100, 100 a and 100 b are similar tothe containers 50-50 f described herein above, except that thecontainers 100, 100 a and 100 b of FIGS. 13-15 only possess oneconformation induction member.

Shown in FIG. 13 is a container 100 that is constructed in accordancewith the presently disclosed and claimed inventive concept(s). Thecontainer 100 has an upper end 102, a lower end 104, and a sidewall 106extending therebetween. The container is further provided with an outerperipheral surface 108, an inner peripheral surface 110 (see FIG. 16),wherein the inner peripheral surface 110 defines a receiving space 112(FIG. 16) into which at least one item may be disposed. The sidewall 106is formed of a first panel 114 and a second panel 116 (FIG. 16) that areconnected together at a first edge 118 and a second edge 120. When inthe flattened condition, the lower end 104 of the container may beprovided with a first end 122 and a second end 124. The first end 122 isconnected to the first edge 118 of the sidewall 106, and the second end124 is connected to the second edge 120 of the sidewall 106.

The container 100 is also provided with a conformation induction member126 that extends generally downwardly from the first edge 118 of thesidewall 106 to the first end 124 of the lower end 104.

Shown in FIG. 14 is a container 100 a similar to the container 100,except that a conformation induction member 126 a thereof extendsgenerally downwardly from a first edge 118 a of a sidewall 106 athereof, and connects first and second panels 114 a and 116 a (FIG. 17)of the sidewall 106 a at at least one point on an inner peripheralsurface 110 a (FIG. 17) interior to a second edge 120 a.

Shown in FIG. 15 is a container 100 b similar to the containers 100 and100 a, except that a conformation induction member 126 b thereof extendsgenerally downwardly from a first edge 118 b of a sidewall 106 b thereofand is connected to a lower end 104 b of the container 100 b at aposition between first and second ends 122 b and 124 b thereof.

FIG. 16 depicts at least one item 128 being disposed in the receivingspace 112 of the container 100. A lower end 130 of the item 128 isdisposed upon a support surface. The filled container 100 assumes thecontour of the item 128. The contour of the filled container 100 is thuscontrolled by the conformation induction member 126 and the weightand/or volume of the item 128.

FIG. 17 depicts at least one item 128 a being disposed in the receivingspace 112 a of the container 100 a. A lower end 130 a of the item 128 ais disposed upon a support surface. The filled container 100 a assumesthe contour of the item 128 a. The contour of the filled container 100 ais thus controlled by the conformation induction member 126 a and theweight and/or volume of the item 128 a.

FIG. 18 depicts at least one item 128 b being disposed in the receivingspace 112 b of the container 100 b. A lower end 130 b of the item 128 bis disposed upon a support surface. The filled container 100 b assumesthe contour of the item 128 b. The contour of the filled container 100 bis thus controlled by the conformation induction member 126 b and theweight and/or volume of the item 128 b.

Description of FIGS. 19-22

While the containers of FIGS. 3-18 have been illustrated herein ashaving one or two conformation induction members, it is to be understoodthat the containers of the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s) may be provided with three or more conformation inductionmembers. The addition of multiple conformation induction membersprovides greater control of the contour of the lower portion of thefilled container.

Shown in FIGS. 19-22 is a container 140 that is constructed inaccordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s). The container 140 is similar to any of the containers 50-50f and 100-100 b as described herein above, except that the container 140is provided with more than two conformation induction members.

The container 140 has an upper end 142, a lower end 144, and a sidewall146 extending therebetween. The container is further provided with anouter peripheral surface 148 and an inner peripheral surface 150 (FIG.21), wherein the inner peripheral surface 150 defines a receiving space152 (FIG. 21) into which at least one item may be disposed. The sidewall146 is formed of a first panel 154 and a second panel 156 that areconnected together at a first edge 158 and a second edge 160. When inthe flattened condition, the lower end 144 of the container may beprovided with a first end 162 and a second end 164. The first end 162 isconnected to the first edge 158 of the sidewall 146, and the second end164 is connected to the second edge 160 of the sidewall 146.

The container 140 is also provided with four conformation inductionmembers: a first conformation induction member 166, a secondconformation induction member 168, a third conformation induction member170, and a fourth conformation induction member 172.

The placement of the first and second conformation induction members 166and 168 is similar to the placement of the first and second conformationinduction members 74 b and 76 b of the container 50 b of FIG. 5; thatis, the first conformation induction member 166 is connected to thelower end 144 at a position between the first and second ends 162 and164 thereof, and the first conformation induction member 166 extendsgenerally upwardly from the lower end 144 to the first edge 158 of thesidewall 146. Likewise, the second conformation induction member 168 isconnected to the lower end 144 at a position between the first andsecond ends 162 and 164 thereof, and the second conformation inductionmember 168 extends generally upwardly from the lower end 144 to thesecond edge 160 of the sidewall 144.

The third conformation induction member 170 extends from a portion ofthe first panel 154, intersects that lower end 144 and connects to aportion of the second panel 156. In this manner, the third conformationinduction member 170 intersects the lower end 144 and is disposed at anangle thereto; for example but not by way of limitation, the thirdconformation induction member 170 is depicted in FIG. 19 as beingdisposed perpendicular to the lower end 144 of the container 140. Theportion of the third conformation induction member 170 that extends fromthe portion of the first panel 154 to the lower end 144 connects aportion of the first panel 154 to itself, while the portion of the thirdconformation induction member 170 that extends from the lower end 144 tothe portion of the second panel 156 connects a portion of the secondpanel 156 to itself.

In the same manner, the fourth conformation induction member 172 extendsfrom a portion of the first panel 154, intersects that lower end 144 andconnects to a portion of the second panel 156. In this manner, thefourth conformation induction member 172 intersects the lower end 144and is disposed at an angle thereto; for example but not by way oflimitation, the fourth conformation induction member 172 is depicted inFIG. 19 as being disposed perpendicular to the lower end 144 of thecontainer 140. The portion of the fourth conformation induction member172 that extends from the portion of the first panel 154 to the lowerend 144 connects a portion of the first panel 154 to itself, while theportion of the fourth conformation induction member 172 that extendsfrom the lower end 144 to the portion of the second panel 156 connects aportion of the second panel 156 to itself.

In FIGS. 20 and 21, at least one item 174 having an upper end 176 and alower end 178 is depicted as being disposed in the container 140. InFIG. 20, the container 140 having the item 174 disposed therein isdepicted as being placed upon its side on a support surface (whereby thesecond panel 156 is contact with the support surface), so that theplacement of the conformation induction members 166, 168, 170 and 172,as well as the placement of the first and second ends 162 and 164 of thelower end 144, can be easily viewed. In FIG. 21, the lower end 144 ofthe container 140 is disposed upon a support surface. As can be seen inthese two Figures, the filled container 140 assumes the contour of theitem 174. The contour of the filled container 140 is thus controlled bythe conformation induction members 166, 168, 170 and 172 and the weightand/or volume of the item 174. The use of the four conformationinduction members 166, 168, 170 and 172 provides greater control of thecontour of the lower portion of the filled container 140.

Any of the containers constructed in accordance with the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s) may further be secured aboutan item disposed therein via a securing element, such as a bondingmaterial. For the purposes of illustration only, FIG. 22 depicts thecontainer 140 secured about the item 174 via a bonding material 180.However, it is to be understood that a bonding material may be utilizedin a similar fashion with any of the containers 50-50 f and 100-100 b aswell as any other container contemplated herein.

The bonding material 180 is depicted in FIG. 22 as being disposed aboutthe container 140 at a position above the upper end 176 of the item 174so as to secure the container 140 about the item 174. However, it is tobe understood that the bonding material 180 may be disposed adjacent orbelow the upper end 176 of the item 174 and thus adjacent the at leastone item 174.

Thus, in accordance with the presently disclosed and claimed inventiveconcept(s), there has been provided containers having conformationinduction members, as well we methods for producing and using same.Although the presently claimed and disclosed inventive concept(s) hasbeen described in conjunction with the specific drawings and languageset forth above, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications andvariations will be apparent to those skilled in the art. Accordingly, itis intended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications andvariations that fall within the spirit and broad scope of the presentlydisclosed and claimed inventive concept(s).

What is claimed is:
 1. A package, comprising: a container for packagingan item, the container comprising: a base having an upper end, a lowerend, a sidewall, an outer peripheral surface, an inner peripheralsurface, and a receiving space, the sidewall formed of a first panel anda second panel that are connected together at a first edge and a secondedge, the lower end having a first end and a second end when thecontainer is in a flattened condition wherein the first end of the lowerend is connected to the first edge of the sidewall and the second end ofthe lower end is connected to the second edge of the sidewall; and atleast one conformation induction member connecting the first and secondpanels of the sidewall at at least one point apart from the first andsecond edges; and an item disposed in the receiving space of thecontainer, wherein the first and second ends of the lower end of thecontainer are substantially disposed below and adjacent a lower end ofthe item, and whereby the combination of the at least one conformationinduction member and the item disposed in the container substantiallycontrol the contour of the filled container.
 2. The package of claim 1,wherein the at least one conformation induction member extends generallydownwardly from at least one of the first and second edges of thesidewall.
 3. The package of claim 2, wherein the at least oneconformation induction member extends to a position on the lower end ofthe container between the first and second ends thereof.
 4. The packageof claim 1, wherein the at least one conformation induction member isconnected to the lower end at a position between the first and secondends thereof, and wherein the conformation induction member extendsgenerally upwardly towards at least one of the first and second edges ofthe sidewall.
 5. The package of claim 1, wherein the at least oneconformation induction member is a seal.
 6. The package of claim 1,wherein the at least one conformation induction member comprises aplurality of seals.
 7. The package of claim 1, wherein a lower portionof the container substantially conforms to the configuration of a lowerportion of the item.
 8. The package of claim 1, wherein the container isfurther defined as a sleeve, and the item is further defined as a flowerpot.
 9. The package of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a flowablematerial selected from the group consisting of solid materials, liquidmaterials, gaseous materials, and combinations thereof.
 10. The packageof claim 1, wherein the item comprises a granular material.
 11. Thepackage of claim 1, wherein the item comprises a food product.
 12. Thepackage of claim 1, wherein the container is further defined ascomprising at least two conformation induction members.
 13. The packageof claim 12, wherein the at least two conformation induction members arefurther defined as: a first conformation induction member extendinggenerally downwardly from the first edge of the sidewall and connectingthe first and second panels of the sidewall at at least one point apartfrom the first edge; and a second conformation induction memberextending generally downwardly from the second edge of the sidewall andconnecting the first and second panels of the sidewall at at least onepoint apart from the second edge.
 14. The package of claim 13, whereinthe first conformation induction member of the container extends fromthe first edge of the sidewall to a position on the lower end of thecontainer between the first and second ends thereof.
 15. The package ofclaim 13, wherein the second conformation induction member of thecontainer extends from the second edge of the sidewall to a position onthe lower end of the container between the first and second endsthereof.
 16. The package of claim 12, wherein the at least twoconformation induction members are further defined as: a firstconformation induction member connected to the lower end at a positionbetween the first and second ends thereof, the first conformationinduction member extending generally upwardly towards the first edge ofthe sidewall and connecting the first and second panels of the sidewallat at least one point apart from the first edge of the sidewall; and asecond conformation induction member connected to the lower end at aposition between the second and first ends thereof, the secondconformation induction member extending generally upwardly towards thesecond edge of the sidewall and connecting the first and second panelsof the sidewall at at least one point apart from the second edge of thesidewall.
 17. The package of claim 12, wherein the first conformationinduction member of the container is a seal.
 18. The package of claim12, wherein the first conformation induction member of the containercomprises a plurality of seals.
 19. The package of claim 12, wherein thelower end of the container has a linear configuration.
 20. The packageof claim 12, wherein the container further comprises at least oneadditional conformation induction member.